Three Brothers and a Slave
by Crystal Violeta
Summary: Since Leonardo could remember, he was treated differently from his brothers. Leo was a victim of cruelty from Splinter, until he ended up becoming a slave of his own family. (AU) In this universe, Leo is 9 years old, Raphael 7, Donatello 6 and Mikey 5. April works at TCRI with Baxter Stockman. She and Casey are adults and live together in an apartment.
1. Mutation day

**THREE BROTHERS AND A SLAVE**

**Disclaimer: **The turtles do not belong to me. TMNT are property of their creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, and now of Nickelodeon.

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I know that I should first finish the story that I started (Leonardo the fearless leader), but after I read fics so incredible like "Why" of Amberzolove (where Splinter has tortured Leo, since he was 9 years old); "Shadow Hunter: Traitor" (where Splinter takes Leo and gives him to some aliens and they take Leo as slave, he is only a child of 8 years old); "The Chance of Love" and "To Love a nurture" where Splinter is an abusive father with Leo, and other great fanfictions, I couldn't resist to write this story.

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**Chapter 1 Mutation day**

They followed him! He knew they had followed him! He had fled from Japan and flown across the world, to escape from his enemies only to discover that he had still been pursued. Finally, they had found him in New York City. Hamato Yoshi moved through the crowd. In his frenzied flight he hit a boy, who was carrying a fishbowl with four baby turtles. The fishbowl fell on the street and the turtles were swept away by the current. The boy tried to retrieve his pets, but at that moment, he saw a blind man nearly run over by the truck transporting toxic waste. The boy had to choose between his baby turtles or the blind man.

"BE CAREFUL!"– The boy shouted and jumped towards the old man, pushing him away from the truck. He saved his life, but the turtles had fallen down into the drain. The truck driver lost control trying to avoid running over the blind man and he crashed against a building. A container with green liquid fell from the truck and rolled down the street.

"I'm lucky!" Yoshi exclaimed, seeing the confusion that had developed. Thanks to the accident he managed to escape from his pursuers and he hid in the sewer, avoiding the sight of his enemies. At that moment, a rat bit his leg, making the Ninja scream. Just then a container broke into the sewer and its green content was spilled on the warrior and the four turtles, which had also fallen into the same drain.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" Hamato Yoshi was terrified, seeing how the mutagen was spreading over his body, starting his dramatic and painful transformation.

With cries of agony, the warrior rolled on the ground; his body and bones were deformed, from his back grew a huge tail, his skin was covered with brown fur, his hands were deformed and sharp claws grew from his fingers. Finally, the powerful ninja became a giant anthropomorphic rat.

The rat screamed with all his might. In a fit of rage, he tore his clothes and began punching wall, over and over again, until his hands bled. He collapsed on the floor, overwhelmed and completely defeated. All his life, everything he knew, all he loved, all was gone. Even his humanity, because now, he was a kind of… MONSTER! He would be forced to live hidden from society and far from civilization… forever! He didn't know if he could stand this terrible punishment. Overcome by the pain he ended up crying until falling asleep.

* * *

When Yoshi woke up he felt strange warmth all around his body. He lifted his arm and observed three little turtles nestled next to him. They were sleeping together peacefully. But these creatures were not simple turtles, they seemed like… toddlers… babies!

His first thought was to leave these toddlers, but they looked like small and helpless babies, so he desisted. The smallest was the first to wake up. His blue eyes looked to Yoshi with curiosity. Suddenly, this baby, approximately one year old, started laughing and those sweet giggles melted the bitter heart of the rat and it gave him back the joy of living. Then, the other two turtles woke up. The second seemed to be two years old and he had pretty brown eyes, like his missing daughter, Miwa. This was enough to win his sympathy completely. The third was clearly the biggest. He looked like about three years old and he had a crack in his left plastron. His bright green eyes showed a strong determination. This characteristic reminded him of his deceased wife, his beloved Tang Shen, who he still loved.

The three turtles embraced Yoshi and his heart was filled with a sweet feeling that he had lost a long time ago. These small turtles reminded him of his lost family, so Yoshi hugged them tightly.

"Dad!" The sweet voice of the smallest echoed in the sewer, "Daddy!"

"Daddy!, Daddy!, Daddy!" The turtles repeated as they hugged the rat, who couldn't still assimilate these words.

"Dad?... Dad!" The rat repeated incredulously, and that moment changed everything. From that moment, he decided that these three turtles would become his children and he would become their father. The old ninja warrior wrapped his arms around the three turtles and he said, "Yes, my sons! Starting today, we will be a new family!"

A new hope shone in the heart of Hamato Yoshi. The life that he thought was finished had only been replaced by a different life; his lost family had been replaced by a new family and that heart that he had believed dead had begun to live with the love of these three little turtles. Then, he saw a shadow approaching them. Immediately, he set his babies aside and went ahead to face the intruder.

"NO!" Yoshi shouted menacingly, "STAY AWAY!" But the shadow continued to move towards the light. Then, he saw that it was another turtle, which was clearly older than the other three. He looked like five years old and had blue eyes, but a shade darker than his youngest child. The ninja observed this creature that was looking at him with curiosity. Yoshi couldn't explain what was in this turtle that he disliked so much... After thinking a little bit, the rat shook his head. The rat didn't know why he felt this rejection against the new turtle and frankly he didn't care. He already had three sons and there was no place for anyone else. Besides, it seemed that this turtle could take care of himself, so the rat decided to ignore him. But the fourth turtle never took his eyes away from his little brothers. Then, Yoshi realized that the child had a blue blanket in his hands. The turtle extended the old blanket (which probably belonged to some homeless man) and tried to cover his younger brothers, but Yoshi stopped him.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY CHILDREN!" With his foot he pushed away the turtle, whose shell struck the ground. His blue eyes looked at the rat with fear and pain. Then he began to cry.

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" The screams of the rat only made the child cry harder and soon the others also began to mourn.

"LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" Yoshi yelled and gave him two slaps, but although the turtle was struggling to hold back, he couldn't stop crying. Frustrated, Yoshi picked up his three children, who were also crying and left.

Seeing the rat take his brothers, the turtle rose from the ground, wiped his tears and began to follow them.

* * *

The rat walked for hours when he realized the unpleasant turtle still followed them. He stopped, left his children on the floor, picked up some loose stones and began to throw them at the turtle.

"OUT OF HERE!" He cried, "STOP FOLLOWING US!"

The child ran, scared, and hid in the tunnels to move away from the danger. Yoshi was sure at least a couple of stones had reached its objective. Yoshi smirked when he didn't see the turtle. Taking his babies, he continued walking. But the turtle left his hiding and followed the rat. Although, at a greater distance.

* * *

After a long walk and carrying his children for hours, Yoshi felt exhausted. So, he put down his sons and sat down to rest a moment. He closed his tired eyes. The children were tired too, that at the moment they recharged on the damp wall, immediately began to doze. The smallest yawned, but crawled to the shore draining. Below, the strong current of sewage was running impetuously.

"WATCH OUT!" The rat shouted when he opened his eyes and realized the danger, but before he could approach the baby, the older turtle had run to embrace the smallest, to keep him away from danger. Yoshi watched him closely and could see that the child had a bruise on one arm and another on the left side of his head, where there was a bit of dried blood. Surely, because of the stones that Yoshi had thrown.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SONS!" The rat warned. Immediately the turtle ran away and remained hidden in the nearest tunnel. There, he poked his head out and his eyes kept looking at his brothers. At that time, Yoshi understood that this turtle never would give up and would never stop following them. The yells of Yoshi had frightened the smallest turtle and woke up the other two, causing the three babies to cry uncontrollably, "WHAT THE HELL!" Annoyed by the noise, he walked away a few steps. The rat rubbed his temples, making a great effort to not explode in a fit of anger. Suddenly, he noticed the cries began to decline and disappear. Looking back, the rat observed that the older turtle calming his brothers until they stop mourn. He also saw him hug the smallest and rub his shell, getting him to calm down.

Yoshi watched the scene carefully. He knew that to care for three children would be a complicated task and understood that this turtle could serve him. After all, it seemed he could control them, and they obeyed him.

"Can you walk?" Yoshi asked with severe tone. The child nodded. "Then, follow us."

* * *

Yoshi carried in his right arm the turtle with green eyes and in his left arm the turtle with brown eyes. The older turtle followed him with difficulty. He held between his arms his little brother, wrapped in the worn blue blanket.

"Hurry up, lazy!" The rat shouted. But the turtle could barely keep up. The burden was too heavy for a child only five years old. His arms trembled and his knees folded from tiredness, but still, he didn't complain and simply continued to move forward, until his legs gave way and fell on the floor with his little brother. The baby turtle began to cry, though it had not hurt so much. He only had a small scratch, but that was enough to unleash the wrath of the rat.

"STUPID!" Yoshi shouted, "LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY SON!" The rat slapped the boy, who remained on the floor rubbing his hurt cheek. "DON'T STAY THERE! WE MUST TO GO" The child got up quickly, but Yoshi threatened him with a fist, "I warn you, if you hurt my son again, you'll regret it."

Trembling, the boy hugged his baby brother and continued the journey.

* * *

The group stopped in front of an old room that seemed closed. The door was blocked with crossed planks, preventing anyone from stepping inside. But Yoshi kicked it and destroyed it, tearing the wood. With wide eyes, the four turtles observed what had just happened. The warrior reviewed the place, which was big enough for them, and although it was full of dust and debris seemed to be habitable, at least for a while.

"My sons, we have to sleep here." The place was not comfortable, it was dark and wet, but they had no other place to go. Yoshi sat on the old couch, raising a cloud of dust. Then, he saw that the smallest of his children had lifted one of the wood chips on the ground.

"NO! You can hurt yourself with those splinters!" Yoshi lifted his son off the soil and took away the wood piece that the child held in his hands, "Leave that splinter!"

"Splinter!" The little turtle repeated, "Splinter!"

"Yeah, yeah, splinter."

"Splinter! Splinter!" The baby repeated over and over again and looking at his father asked, "Splinter?"

Yoshi smiled. He really liked that name.

"If we are going to start a new life, I should have a new name."

"Splinter?" The smallest asked again.

"Yes, my son, you're right. From now on, my name will be 'Splinter'" He then looked at the four turtles, "You will need a name too." Splinter thought a moment and decided to name them as his favorite artists of the Renaissance. He looked at the smallest turtle and said to him, "Your name is Michelangelo, as the best artist of all time." The second he called Donatello and his older son was named Raphael for his strong character. Then, Splinter looked at the fourth turtle.

"Well, we have to call you something" The rat thought for a moment. He always felt annoyed because people said that Leonardo Da Vinci was the best painter in the world, when he considered that Michelangelo (his favorite artist) and Raphael were better. Also, he doesn't like the idea that one man could stand out in so many different skills at the same time (painting, architecture, engineering and others). He looked at the child with displeasure and said to him, "Your name will be Leonardo!"

Michelangelo began rubbing his stomach and moaned slightly. Splinter could hear the growls in the stomachs of his children.

"Poor babies! We have not eaten anything all day. You must be hungry" He looked at Leonardo and warned him, "Stay here and take good care of them. I'll look for some food."

Splinter searched inside the building. It seemed to be a sort of control room for a subway, because there were old machines and small offices in ruins. There was also a small cellar, some desks, a couch and several chairs. With his sense of smell, now more developed, he looked for some food. The rat only found an old package of cookies in one of the drawers. He opened the packet and sniffed it.

"My sons, I found some food! The cookies are a bit stale, but it will serve." Splinter split the cookies into two parts. He took half for himself and the rest was divided among his three sons, who devoured the food. Then, the rat observed that Leonardo was looking at him with hungry eyes. Splinter snorted angrily, took two cookies and threw them to the ground. The child rushed to pick them up and ate them greedily. When everyone had finished their meal, Splinter hugged his three sons and leaned back on the couch with them in his arms. They fell asleep quickly.

* * *

It was near midnight when the rat moved slightly. His hands looked for his children but discovered that his sons were not at his side. He got up startled. With his rat's eyes (which allowed him to see in the dark), he looked around only to discover that his beloved children were sleeping peacefully, curled up next to Leonardo on the other side of the couch. All were wrapped in the old blue blanket. A wave of jealousy passed through the soul of the rat. Rage filled his heart, seeing that his sons had left him to follow that useless turtle. Splinter had lost his daughter and his wife in one occasion, and this time wasn't willing to lose his new family. So he grabbed Leonardo by the shell and threw him violently to the ground.

"YOU CAN'T SLEEP WITH MY SONS!" The rat began to hit Leo, who frightened, did nothing, just covered his head with his arms, "Your place is down, ON THE FLOOR!" Splinter threw the old blanket on the child's face. The turtles awoke scared and crying, but the rat made them shut up with a loud cry. Immediately, the children were silent.

Leonardo was shaking. The child remained motionless and waiting until Splinter fell asleep with his three children in his arms. Leonardo wiped his eyes and rubbed his arms. This was the first beating of many others that would come later.

The ground was so cold and hard. Little Leo wrapped himself with the old blue blanket to keep warm. As much as he tried to, the child couldn't understand what was so different or wrong about him, for not being allowed to approach his brothers. Neither could he comprehend why he had to sleep on the floor, while his brothers slept comfortably on the couch. With a lump in his throat, Leonardo closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He had to prepare for what would come tomorrow.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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What do you think? What about the langue or translation? Do you want me to continue the story?

Please! Please! Please! Send me reviews. I'll be so happy to read everyone's reviews. All of them help me very much. I want know your opinion.

**NOTES:** In the original comic there is a boy who bought the turtles and saved a blind man, but he lost his turtles who fell to the sewer. In this fic, the boy is Casey Jones and the blind man is Mr. Murakami. I have many plans for them in the future.

I want to say thank so much to "TekeoMiona", "WriterOnARoll" and all the people who helped me to write and translate this chapter.

To make the cover, I took the picture "TMNT_Leo_sleeping_by_NamiAngel", as a model, I redrew it, edited the image and added color.


	2. The lair

**THREE BROTHERS AND A SLAVE**

**Disclaimer: **The turtles do not belong to me. TMNT are property of their creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, and now of Nickelodeon.

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**IMPORTANT NOTE: From the next chapter I will change the classification from "T" to "M" (for precaution), because it can get a bit cruel.**

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**Chapter 2. The lair**

Splinter woke up early. The rat had to leave his children in the care of Leonardo, while he returned to his apartment. The ninja had saved some money for a new Dojo and to start a new life in New York. But now, his plans had changed.

Splinter, covered by the darkness, used his rat eyes and developed instincts to walk in the shadows and move around the city at night, without being discovered.

Silently, the rat climbed up the emergency stairs, opened the window of his apartment and went inside his old home. He quickly took everything that he could: money, food, credit cards and some blankets (just for starters) and disappeared like a shadow in the night.

After returning to the turtles and eating enough, Splinter decided to find a place to live. To walk with the turtles was a bad idea, because it was slow and exhausting. So he decided to leave them in the care of Leonardo while he explored the sewers. After three weeks of tireless searching, he found what looked like an abandoned subway station.

The place was in ruins, full of dust and debris, but it was a very large place. It had electrical connections, piped water, a spacious kitchen and several rooms for his children. Also, it had a kind of enormous hangar or repair shop, with some old machines, chains and tools that he could use. After all, he was a ninja and a true ninja could make and repair his own weapons.

In terms of access, the main entrance lead to a series of tunnels with abandoned subway tracks. Also, it had a pool of clean water leading to the river. In the back of the compound, there was a stone stair leading down to the tunnels. Down there, the passage was circulating by river drainage waters. This was only one of the many corridors leading directly to the sewers network.

This place was perfect to become their new home. The best part was that one of the subway tunnels led to the surface, into an abandoned warehouse. The place had an address, so Splinter could call by phone and ask for food or other things and wait for the delivery.

Splinter moved the turtles into their new home. Immediately, preparations began.

Every night, the rat returned to his old apartment. Slowly, he brought all his possessions; weapons, computer, phone, personal items, clothing, carpets, books, and above all, his savings and all credit card and account numbers and other important documents. He had enough money to live for several years. Thereafter, payments and purchases were made by internet or phone, all charged to his credit cards. Some things were delivered to the warehouse above the lair, and then Splinter collected them without any danger.

While Splinter brought new things every day, Leonardo had an obligation to take care his younger brothers. He had to feed them, bathe them and keep them away from any danger. Also, he had to clean the lair. The task was not easy, because he had to remove debris and drag them to the drainage, regardless of size, material or weight.

The child had to carry heavy stones, rubbles and remains of old machinery. He was also responsible for cleaning the rooms that would be his brothers. Splinter put in a mattress with several pillows and blankets for his children so they would not be cold, but Leonardo was forbidden to stay in the room with his brothers.

* * *

At the moment, the child was dragging a large piece of old wood, which was very heavy for him, but with great effort he managed to push it down the stone stairs to fall to pieces at the bottom. The child wiped the sweat from his forehead. Then, he threw all the pieces of wood into the river of wastewater.

"Children, I'm back!" Splinter shouted upon entering the lair. He dropped a bag full of more objects from his apartment on the floor and took off the cape he was wearing and let it fall to the ground.

"DAD! DAD!" Shouted the three young children and ran to hug him. Splinter extended his arms to receive them.

When Leonardo heard that Splinter had returned, he climbed up the stairs hurriedly to fulfill his obligations. First, he picked up Splinter's cape and took the heavy bag the rat had brought and dragged it into the kitchen. Quickly, Leo returned with the robe and Splinter's slippers. The child knelt to put the slippers on his feet, while the rodent sat on the couch with his children in his arms.

"It's late! Where's dinner?"

Leonardo stood up and ran off hurriedly. Soon, he returned carrying a tray with a cup, a steaming teapot and a bowl of rice, which he gave to Splinter. With a slight bow he withdrew to return with two glasses of warm milk and a plate of cookies, which he gave to Raphael and Donatello. Leo ran to the kitchen again and this time brought a bottle. Then, he laid Mikey on the couch with some cushions and gave him the bottle of warm milk.

While the Hamato family was dining, Leonardo sat on the floor because he was forbidden to sit on the furniture with others. Patiently, he waited until everyone finished eating. It was very difficult, especially when his stomach wouldn't stop growling with hunger. But the scars on his hands had taught him that he couldn't touch the food until everyone had finished and then his owner, personally, would give him food.

As soon as one of the turtles finished dinner, Leonardo rushed to pick up the dishes to take them to the kitchen. Immediately, he returned to the living room to take his place on the floor.

When Splinter finished eating, Leonardo looked at him with a gleam of hope in his eyes. The child had worked hard that day and the change in the lair was notorious. He knew that his master would be satisfied with the job and would give him a food ration, not like other nights, when the rat left him without dinner, only because Splinter thought that Leo had not done enough cleaning in the lair.

The rat looked around, examining the place. There was still a lot of dust, cobwebs and debris, but evidently the lair looked better each day. It was no longer the abandoned place he had found weeks ago. Gradually, the lair was turning into a real home.

With his hands together Leonardo was yearning to hear the approval of his master. A big smile was drawn on his face when the rat threw a piece of bread on the ground. Quickly, the child picked up the bread and ate it, tasting every bite.

"Take my children to bed." The rat ordered, before retiring to sleep. Leonardo nodded while he sucked his fingers, for not to waste a single crumb, however small.

As Mikey had already fallen asleep, Leonardo carried him in arms, while Donatello and Raphael followed him.

Leonardo laid his brothers in their bed; he wrapped them in sheets and covered them with a thick blanket that Splinter had brought from his apartment.

"Good night, Leo!" Michelangelo muttered.

"Sweet dreams, Mikey!" Leonardo smiled and stroked Mike's head, before leaving the room.

Tired from the work, Leo went to the kitchen with shuffling steps. There, he pulled out the objects that Splinter had brought that night, and stored them all; then washed the dirty dishes, dried them, put them in the cupboards, cleaned the kitchen and finally, turned off the light.

Carefully, he placed his old, blue blanket on the kitchen floor and wrapped himself in it. At this point, he had already resigned to sleeping on the floor every night, but he still couldn't get used to the cold and he felt that every night was colder than the previous one. Then, Leonardo thought of his brother's warm beds and sighed.

"I would like to know what it's like to sleep in a real bed, like my brothers!" The five year old child huddled in himself, keeping the warmth in his body, "Their bed seems so soft and warm!" Leo closes his eyes. He knew it was best not to think about that. Besides, he needed rest, because the next day a lot work was awaiting him and he would have to do his best effort, if he wanted to win the food of the day. So, with a deep sigh, he fell asleep.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

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**Acknowledgements:**

Thank you very much to all the people who read the fic, especially those who leave reviews. Every review I receive makes me happy and encourages me to keep writing. So, please, send me a lot of reviews!

Thank you so much for writing to "Esmeblaise", "Smile or else", "I'm awesome and y'all know it", "Luvgrentmnt", "GirlzRule312", "Guest", "Nancy2013", "MyFavouriteWhale"

I want to say thanks so much to "TekeoMiona" and all the people who helped me to write and translate this chapter.

To make the cover, I took the picture "TMNT_Leo_sleeping_by_NamiAngel", as a model, I redrew it, edited the image and added color.


	3. Moment of weakness

**THREE BROTHERS AND A SLAVE**

**Disclaimer: **The turtles do not belong to me. TMNT are property of their creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, and now of Nickelodeon.

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**Chapter 3. Moment of weakness**

A year had passed since Splinter found the turtles, and as father he couldn't feel more proud about his three children and their skills. At just 4 years old, Raphael had a strength that overcame any child three times his age. Donatello was very intelligent, much more than normal and Michelangelo had a surprising agility for a two year old toddler.

These children were his pride and had given meaning to his life, so to show them how much he loved them, Splinter organized a small birthday party with gifts and a small cake and candles.

Leonardo kept his eyes on the birthday cake, _"I had never seen a meal like that!"_ Leo thought as he approached the table, "_Something so beautiful must be delicious!_" Leo thought if he took a bit, maybe no one would notice it, but when the child's finger almost touched the cake, Splinter yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He raised a hand threatening to hit him, "STAY AWAY FROM THE CAKE" but the scared boy retired and trembling, went to take his place on the floor.

Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo surrounded the cake. Splinter lit the candles and told his children, "Ask for a wish and blow out the candles." The three children strongly closed their eyes to make a wish and they blow on the birthday candles, until the last flame was extinguished. Then, Splinter cut the cake. He took the largest slice for him and gave a big portion to each of his three children.

Leonardo remained silent, sitting on the floor, hoping to receive even a bit. His eyes were fixed on the last slice of cake that was left on the platter, but when Splinter took it and served it on his own plate, the boy's hopes were dashed. With reddened eyes, he watched the crumbs on the empty plate. A painful sigh escaped from his lips as his stomach grumbled about the lack of food.

"My children, it´s time for gifts!"

"GIFTS! YEAAAA!" The three children jumped in excitement.

"For Mikey a new buddy," Splinter gave him a small fishbowl with a goldfish with long fins.

"WOW! Thank you, Father!"

"Donatello, I have a special gift for you. A few months ago, you learned to read and you are only three years old. Even so, you have read all the children's books I have. I'm very proud you are a reader so avid for knowledge. Unfortunately, the few books I've got are not enough for you. But, as your father, it's my duty to encourage this intelligence. So, I want give you this e-book. Here you can read all the books you want, but first, you must ask my permission to authorize the purchase. Understood?"

"Yes father and thanks!" Donatello was happy. For him it was wonderful to have access to all the knowledge he wanted.

"Raphael, you're my oldest son and my greatest pride. You are the only one who has strength and courage required for take the reins of this family. Today, I choose you as my successor.

"Father!"

"One day, when I'm gone, you will become the new leader of the Hamato clan," Splinter placed his hands on the Raphael's shoulders, "It's a great honor that I offer you today, my son! But it's also a great responsibility, which requires effort and preparation. As future leader of this family, it's necessary to learn to be responsible and take care of others. So, I want to give you this," Splinter gave him a little tortoise, "Learn to take care of this turtle as one day you will do with your brothers."

"Thank, father! I promise I won't fail you." Raphael took the turtle and stroked the shell of his new pet, "You and me going to be great friends!"

"What are you going to call it?" Donatello asked.

"I know! I know!" Michelangelo Interrupted, "Let's call it Spike!"

"Spike?" Donatello looked at the smallest turtle, "Why?"

"Just because." Michelangelo smiled.

"What do you say? Do you like your new name?" Raphael looked at his little pet and he seemed to see its smile, "All right, then your name is Spike!"

"LEONARDO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?" The rat shouted, "Pick up the dirty dishes. Quickly!"

Leonardo shivered and hurried to pick up everything and take it to the kitchen. The child saw the stack of dishes he had to wash and sighed. Thus, while his brothers received beautiful gifts, he only received more work. Because from now on, now that Leo is 6 years old, he is forced to take care of the house, completely.

Every day, Leonardo got up at 6:00 in the morning, to start his activities which included cleaning the house and cooking. He was obliged to serve his brothers, feed them, wash their clothes and take care of them at all times. Of course, the work took him all day and part of the night. At the end, every night, when he had finished his tasks, he walked shuffling to the kitchen, and he wrapped himself in the old blue blanket which let him survive the cold winter nights.

* * *

Michelangelo was the most loving creature in the world. Constantly, he was laughing and hugging his brothers and his father. For this reason, everyone loved him so much. Even Splinter would say that Mikey was the joy of the family. The old warrior couldn't hide the predilection that he felt for his youngest son and his constant signs of affection.

"I love you, Daddy!" He said with that sweet little voice that made his father laugh.

"I love you too, Mikey!" Splinter hugged his son who was waiting him with outstretched arms. Both sat on the couch together. The rodent watched the TV, while Mikey stroked the rat's whiskers and played with them. This tickled the warrior, but he tolerated it to see smile of his son. Then, the tiny turtle put his hands on the Splinter's head and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Mikey began to laugh hard, "Your whiskers tickle, Daddy!"

"It's not true... My fingers do!" Splinter tickled him in the neck and his feet's soles, causing the baby turtle to burst out laughing. At that time, Leonardo approached them with caution. His head tilted and his eyes fixed on the ground.

"What are you doing here?"

"The food is ready, master." He muttered quietly.

Splinter looked at his little son, "What do you say, Mikey? Are you hungery?"

"Yes! Food! Food!"

"Then let's eat." Splinter took him in his arms and they went to the kitchen. There, Splinter sat him in a highchair. Then, he inspected the refrigerator and cupboards, to make sure nothing was missing, because Splinter had a tight control of all food. He kept track of every can and bottle that was in the kitchen. Even the eggs and each slice of bread were counted. Leonardo was tying a napkin around the Mikey's neck, when Splinter shouted, "LEONARDO! WHY DID TAKE FOOD WITHOUT PERMISSION?" The child looked at him surprised, "ONE SODA IS MISSING FROM THE FRIDGE! WHERE IS IT?"

"I don't know!" Leonardo was pale.

"YOU TOOK IT! DON'T DENY IT!"

"No, master! I swear! I never..."

Before he could finish the sentence, Splinter had already taken him by the neck squeezing it with his hands, "DON'T LIE TO ME!"

At that time, Donatello and his older brother came into the kitchen. Raphael was holding a soda in his hand.

"Father, what happened?" Raphael asked him.

"Missing a soda!"

"I took it!" Raphael confessed and showed him the can.

The fury of Splinter dissipated. Then he freed Leonardo, who took a relieved breath and rubbed his neck. The rat stared at Raphael, "Why did you take food without my permission?"

"I'm sorry, father! I was hungry and... I just took it."

Splinter spoke harshly, but calmly, "Raphael, you shouldn't take food without my permission, EVER! There are rules and there is a mealtime. You are my oldest son and an example for your brothers. That is why you must be the first to respect the rules. I don't want this to repeat. Is that clear?"

"Yes, father. I'm sorry! It will not happen again, I swear!"

"I hope so. In punishment, today you don't get dessert."

Leonardo had still not recovered from what had happened. Some time ago, Splinter had warned him that if one day, he dared to take food without permission, he would pay with his life. Leonardo was so scared of his master that he never dared to take anything, even if he were dying of hunger. But the incident today, showed him that Splinter would fulfill his threat, without hesitation.

The rat took his place at the head of the table, a befit of his status as the leader of the family. In silence, Donatello and Raphael sat at his side at the table.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE? MOVE!" Splinter shouted. Leonardo awoke from his slumber and still shaking began to serve them the food.

Overwork was bad enough, but hunger was the worst of it. So, while his brothers were fed properly, Leonardo was starving, all the time. He had to settle with the scraps or a slice of bread that Splinter threw to the ground for him at each meal, if the rat decided that Leonardo deserved it.

During each meal, the little turtle was obligated to remain standing, to serve the whole family. Leonardo loved to take care of his brothers, but to see them eat, while he was starving, became sheer torture.

The child was enthralled contemplating the meal he couldn't touch. He smelled the fragrances that the food gave off and his mouth watered as he imagined the taste.

"Mikey, you made a mess again!" Leo sighed while wipe his brother's face with a napkin, "Hold on. Let me help." Leonardo cut the meat and took a piece with a fork, "Open your mouth." The tiny turtle obeyed immediately and chewed noisily moving his cheeks.

Splinter was carefully watching his youngest son. He couldn't understand how it was that a child with such coordination and agility, capable to do acrobatics and tumbling, so easily, always made a mess with food. For this reason, Leonardo remained beside Mikey, to help him eat, because, despite his two years old, Mikey still had problems using cutlery.

Mikey loved his whole family, but since he could remember, Leonardo had been the only one who fed him, who bathed him and dressed him. Leo comforted him when he was sad, he lulled him to sleep every night and took care of him all the time. That's why Mikey loved him so much. For Mikey, Leo was much more than an older brother. Leonardo was father and mother at the same time, and he felt more attached to him than to the rest of his family.

When Mikey finished the last bite, Leonardo wiped him with a napkin. "There! You are clean now."

"Thank you!" Michelangelo hugged his older brother, "I love you, Leo!"

With a clenched fist, Splinter hit the table in a fit of rage. "ENOUGH!" He yelled, "From now on, Mikey will eat alone!"

The turtles were puzzled watching Splinter. The rat gave Leonardo a look of fury, "I don't want my child to become useless! From now on, you're going to wait outside until we finish eating and I call you! Do you understand?"

"Yes, master!" He said nervously.

From that day, when Leonardo finished serving the food, he left the kitchen. Outside, in the hallway, Leo sat on the ground, waiting, until his owner called him to start cleaning. This was repeated every day, to become another hateful routine.

* * *

"STUPID!" Splinter shouted as he hit Leonardo, "You are useless! Why you can't do anything right?"

"I'm sorry, master! Aaugh!" Leonardo covered his head with his arms, while he curled up in a ball on the ground, "It will not happen again! Ouch!.. I SWEAR! Argh!"

From the couch, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo watched the scene in silence. The children were so terrified, that no one dared to move. With reddened eyes, the two older brothers were embraced, cornered at one end of the couch. While the smallest was trembling, not knowing what to do.

Mikey loved his father, but he couldn't understand why Splinter was so sweet and gentle with him, yet he treated Leonardo so cruelly.

This was not the first time that Splinter punished Leonardo. In fact, Splinter was constantly carrying a thin flexible rod, used to punish any failure or error, however small it was. These blows were not serious but were very painful. Sometimes, it even opened the skin and it left traces of blood. The arms and hands of Leonardo had scars that had been left by the rod that the four brothers had come to hate.

Whenever the rat hit Leo, Mikey closed his eyes and wept in silence, until the punishment was over. But this time, Splinter didn´t hit him with the usual rod. Now, he was using the shinai, a thick sword of bamboo, used in some Dojos to teach discipline.

In addition, his aggression was more violent than normal. So, Mikey was crying loudly, with his eyes closed and the hands clenched on his ears. The tiny turtle didn't want to see or hear anything. But yes, he was hearing it all. It was impossible not to hear the impacts of the shinai crashing against his brother's body and the moans from Leo taking every hit. Michelangelo couldn't stand it any longer and from his throat emerged an anguished cry.

"STOP IT!" Mikey murmured sobbing, "Please, Dad! Don't hit him anymore! Please... No more!"

Splinter stopped and watched the tears of his youngest son. Then, he let Leonardo go with a warning, "GO TO THE KITCHEN AND DO NOT MAKES MISTAKES AGAIN!"

Stunned, Leonardo held his head and limped away, but his steps were slow and uncertain. In fact, he was almost about to fall, if he had not grabbed to the wall. It took a few seconds to stabilize himself, and then he continued on his way, leaning on the wall.

Mikey realized that Splinter was staring at him and as soon as he saw that his father was approaching him, he got scared so much that he hid his head, arms and legs in his shell.

"Mikey!" The rat noted how was trembling the Mike's shell, "My son! What´s wrong?" Splinter sat on the couch, placed the shell on his lap and began to caress it gently. "Mikey, please! Come out of there!"

"Are you going to hit me, too?" His blue eyes shone from inside his shell.

"Of course, not!"

Fearfully, Mikey popped his head out of his shell, "Really? Are you not going to hit me?"

"I swear! You are my little son and I would never hurt you!"

Still trembling, the child slowly pulled out his head and limbs.

"Oh, Mikey! You don't need to be afraid!" Splinter hugged him and patted his back, "You know how much I love you! Trust me, my son! I would never do any harm to you, and neither let others hurt you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, but..." Mikey pressed his lips, "You hit Leo."

"Leonardo is not my son! Besides, he deserved punishment for his carelessness."

Mikey looked down, while tears flowed from his eyes.

"Come on! Don't be sad! Would you like to get a new goldfish?"

The child shook his head.

While Splinter was consoling Mikey, Donatello slipped silently from the couch and went to the kitchen. He found his brother sitting on the ground, with both hands pressing against his forehead, from which was trickling a thread of blood.

"Leo, let me see" Donatello examined the wound carefully, "How do you feel?"

"My head hurts... and the floor moves."

"Are you dizzy?"

"Di...dizzy? Yes... I think so."

"Stay calm!" Donatello bit his lips, trying to think of something, and then, stood up. He took a rag from the kitchen, rinsed it with cold water and then placed it on the Leo's forehead, "Take it and press hard. The cold water will help you and will stop the bleeding." Donatello took another damp towel and began to clean up the rest of the wounds and scrapes.

"Thanks, Donnie!"

"No. Don't say that!" The child sighed sadly, "I don't know what to do!... I wish I could help you!"

"But you do help me! If it wasn't for you and Mikey... Who knows what would happen to me!"

"I'm going to read every book about medicine and first aid that I can find. So I can help you, really."

Raphael entered at that time and watched his two brothers sitting on the floor, "How is he?"

"Confused and dizzy. The blow to his head was strong. I hope the cold water will help him."

"Thanks, guys! But it's late and I have to prepare dinner," Leonardo tried to get up, but his vision darkened and he lost his balance. He didn't fall only because his brothers held him.

"Easy, bro!" Raphael helped him sit down again.

"Stay still for a while." Donatello placed a cold cloth on his head.

"But, what about dinner?"

"I'll serve dinner," Raphael hurried to take dishes and glasses from the cupboard and put everything on the table. Then, he served bread and milk. Finally, he went out to the hallway to keep watch, while Donatello continued taking care of Leo.

Half an hour later, Raphael came back and warned them, "Splinter´s coming!"

Donatello stepped aside and Leonardo rose as best he could. Splinter entered the kitchen and looked at Leonardo, "Mikey is in his bed. Take his dinner to his bedroom."

"Yes, master."

Leonardo took a glass of warm milk; put it on a plate with cookies and bread. Then, he moved away quickly.

When Leonardo came into the bedroom, Mikey was still crying. But when he saw his big brother and the dried blood on his forehead began to mourn harder, "I'm so sorry, Leo! It's all my fault!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes, it's my fault!"

Leonardo hugged his little brother and rubbed his back to calm him down, "Quiet, Mikey! Don't cry!"

"I should´ve said something, but I was so scared I didn't say anything ...! I'm so sorry!"

"Shhh! Don't worry! It is better to eat something. Look, I brought you dinner."

"I'm not hungry!"

"You have to eat or Splinter will bother us both."

Mikey took a deep breath and drank all the milk, then took a bite of one of the cookies, "Leo, why does dad hit you so much?"

"I don't know, Mikey."

"I'm afraid that one day he will beat me too!"

"No, Mikey!" Leonardo smiled at him, "You're his favorite son and he would never hurt you! He loves you very much!"

Michelangelo hugged his brother hard and sobbing said, "I love him too, but sometimes he scares me!"

"Don't worry! Everything will be fine, Mikey! You'll see."

* * *

Days passed and slowly Mikey's personality began to change. He didn't laugh as much as before. He had become a very nervous child and cried a lot.

Another problem was the nightmares that Mikey had ever more often. There were many nights when the child woke up sweating and screaming. In those nights, he went downstairs to see Leonardo. His older brother hugged him and comforted him until the smallest fell asleep in his arms. Then, Leo carried him to his room, tucked him in and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Tired, Leonardo returned to the kitchen, to lie on the ground.

The kitchen floor was so hard and cold that it was quite uncomfortable. Often, Leonardo had felt tempted to sleep on the furniture in the living room, which seemed soft and warm, but he was terrified that Splinter would find out. Once, he dared to sleep on the couch, taking advantage of the fact that nobody could see him at night, but Splinter had discovered him with his sense of smell super developed, " YOUR PLACE IS HERE, ON THE FLOOR! IS THAT NOT UNDERSTOOD?" The rat shouted while shaking him violently, "I SWEAR THAT IF YOU DISOBEY ME AGAIN, I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! IS THAT CLEAR?" After this warning, he punished him so severely that the child never tried to sleep outside the kitchen, again.

* * *

Once, Mikey woke up screaming and shaking. He was so scared, that he didn't want go back to sleep. So, he put his slippers on and went to the kitchen.

"Leo?"

"Mhhh?" Leonardo mumbled something, without fully waking up. He was so tired that he just whispered a few words and went back to sleep. Mikey didn't want to wake his brother, but he needed his company. So, he sat on the floor, curled up next to him and fell asleep too.

In the morning, when Leonardo awoke, he found Mikey sleeping beside him. The child sighed and after waking his brother, accompanied him to his bedroom, so Splinter would not find out. The same thing happened almost every following night.

* * *

Each time, Mikey's nightmares were more terrifying, until the day came when he could not sleep alone in his room. He could only sleep if Leonardo was with him. Sometimes, when Mikey fell asleep early, Leonardo took him in his arms and carried him to his room. There, he covered him with a blanket, kissed his forehead and returned to the kitchen. But one night, when Leo was about to leave, Mikey stopped him.

"Please don't go! Stay with me!"

Leonardo hesitated, but couldn't fight against the tender gaze of his baby brother, so he sat on the bed, hugged him and began rubbing Mike's back, "What did you dream this time?"

"The usual."

"Splinter again?"

"Yes! I dreamed he beat me, just like you."

"Mikey, you know that Splinter would never hit you. He loves you and loves all his children. He never, ever would hurt you."

"Then, why does he hurt you?"

"Because, I'm not his son."

"I don't understand. Why we are brothers, and he is not the father of us all?"

"I don't know Mikey. I don't understand either, but don't worry. It is late and it's better for you to sleep now."

Leonardo rose to retire again, but Mikey held his hand, preventing him from leaving, "Mikey, I have to go!"

"Please, don't go until I fall asleep!"

"Well, I'll stay for just a moment."

Leonardo lay down on the bed, next to Michelangelo, who hugged him and laid his head on the Leo's plastron. Mikey felt so protected when he was close to his older brother that he immediately began to doze.

Leonardo closed his eyes and remained silent, feeling the softness of the bed, _"The bed is so comfortable!" _he thought, "_It's better than I had imagined! It's so soft and warm! I wish I could sleep in such a place!_"

Leonardo knew he should go immediately, but decided wait for his baby brother to fall asleep completely. Then, he would go back to the kitchen to sleep on the hard floor. But he was so tired and the bed was so comfortable, that without realizing, he fell asleep as well. Leonardo couldn't imagine how much he would regret this moment of weakness...

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

Thank you very much to all the people who read the fic, especially those who leave reviews. Every review I receive makes me happy and encourages me to keep writing. So, please, send me a lot of reviews!

I want to say thanks so much to **"TekeoMiona"** and all the people who helped me to write and translate this chapter.

**"dragonricca-d6ulj8p"** I want to thank you for giving me permission to use your picture "nightmares" on the cover of this chapter. ¡You are a great artist!

All of you can find the drawings of "dragonricca-d6ulj8p" in DevianArt page with the name "dragonricca"

**Thank you so much for writing to:** "Talon3", "WhoAmI659", "Shadzninja", "Mewfem", "NekoShard", "Ninjago1019", "I'm awesome and y'all know it", "Nancy2013", "Jedarth", "Smile-I'mTheEndOfAllThatYouSee"


	4. The punishment

**THREE BROTHERS AND A SLAVE**

**Disclaimer: **The turtles do not belong to me. TMNT are property of their creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, and now of Nickelodeon.

* * *

"_Monsters are real… They live inside us, and sometimes, they win." (Stephen King)._

* * *

**Chapter 4. ****The punishment**

Leonardo was sleeping peacefully in the bed of his youngest brother, while Mikey was curled up on the plastron of Leo. The two children slept cuddled when a cry of rage awakened them.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

Leonardo opened his eyes and froze when he saw the giant rat with crossed arms looking at him with bloodshot eyes.

"WHY ARE YOU IN THE BEDROOM OF MY SON?"

Leonardo took a few seconds to react. He tried to jump out of bed, but before his feet touched the ground, Splinter had already grabbed him by the edge of the shell and dropped him to the floor.

"YOU DISOBEYED ME!"

"No, master!"

"I WARNED YOU, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU DISOBEY ME, AGAIN!" Splinter dragged him along the ground to take him out of Mike's bedroom. Then, he took him to the rail, which was on the second floor.

"Master, please no!" Leonardo was crying not knowing what else to say. Raphael and Donatello had woken up from Splinter's shouts. Now, they and Mikey were in the corridor watching what was happening.

"I TOLD YOU, VERY CLEARLY, THAT YOUR PLACE WAS ON THE FLOOR!" With both arms, the rat took Leo by the shell and lifted him, keeping him above his head, "It seems you forgot what your place in this house is. But I will teach you not to forget it!" He threw him from the second floor.

"NOOOOO!" The four turtles shouted, before they heard the impact.

"CRACK!"

"LEOOO!" The three brothers cried and ran down the stairs to help their big brother, but Splinter was ahead of them and with a big jump, he fell in front of his children, preventing them from approaching Leonardo, who remained on the floor, stunned and barely able to move from the pain.

When Leo´s brothers tried to get closer, Splinter looked at them with bloodshot eyes and yelled, "Stay away!"

"Father, please!" Donatello stepped forward, "Let me check Leo! I heard a bone crunching and perhaps..."

"I SAID STAY AWAY!"

The three tots remained frozen. Splinter took Leonardo's hand and dragged him across the floor, out of the lair, until he reached the stone stairs. There, the rat pushed him without mercy. Leonardo shouted again while he rolled down the stairs.

"UNTIL NOW, I HAVE BEEN VERY GENEROUS WITH YOU, BY ALLOWING YOU TO SLEEP IN THE KITCHEN, BUT THAT IS OVER!" Splinter clenched his teeth and his red eyes were lit with rage as he shouted to Leo, who was lying at the bottom of the stairs, "FROM NOW, YOUR PLACE IS DOWN THERE, OUT OF THE LAIR AND BETWEEN THE DIRT," Splinter took a deep breath and headed down the stairs that led to the sewer.

Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo stayed at the top, watching the stairs, but no one dared to move. They only stayed motionless, listening.

"YOU DISOBEYED AND FORGOT YOUR PLACE AS SLAVE, BUT I WILL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER FORGET IT AGAIN!"

"No master! Please!"

The next thing the three children heard was a series of repeated blows and a crying child.

This lasted for several minutes that seemed eternal. The air seemed to have become so cold that it hurt to breathe. Donatello hugged Mikey in a vain attempt to protect him from that cruelty.

In the end, the blows stopped and Splinter came up the stairs with a somber air.

The three children turned away from him, as soon as they saw him, but the rat paid them no attention. He just continued on his way to the hangar.

The children looked at each other, before daring to go down.

They found Leonardo lying on the ground. He had his head hidden in his arms, while he cried between endless sobs. His brothers approached and sat down around him.

"Leo...!" Raphael began, but he didn't dare continue. No one knew what to say and Leonardo couldn't respond to them because he was weeping, unable to contain himself.

Mikey was the first to approach him and gently rubbed his shell. Then, Raphael knelt beside him and, holding his back, lifted him gently to a sitting position.

Suddenly, Leonardo clung to Raphael's waist and hid his face on the plastron of his younger brother, where he spilled hundreds of painful tears.

Leonardo was the one who always took care of them, but now, it was he who needed to be helped and protected. Raphael knew how much Leonardo needed him; Leo needed his strength, his support, but above all he needed love. Therefore, Raphael wrapped him in his arms in protectively, to give him the only thing that he could offer him, support.

Michelangelo hugged Leo from behind, surrounding his shell and rubbing it gently. Donatello stayed away. He was more concerned by the blows on his brother and his left leg, which was flexed at an unnatural angle between the knee and the ankle.

The genius wanted to check on his brother, because he knew that Leo was suffering and it was necessary to heal his injuries immediately. But when he saw the way in which Leonardo was crying and how he embraced his brothers, he realized that at this moment, the greatest pain of his brother was in his heart; and more than medical care, Leo needed love and comfort. So, timidly, Donatello knelt beside him and he joined the group hug.

The three brothers had Leo in the center, surrounded him in a brotherly hug, as if they could protect him from any harm. The pain and guilt fought against love and compassionate feelings. His brothers could only imagine what Leo was suffering and for this reason, Donnie and Mikey were crying with him.

Only Raphael tried to stay calm. Raph felt he had to be strong for them and struggled to remain calm. Even so, he looked toward the ceiling so as to not succumb to the moment of pain and misery that was happening in front his eyes. But hearing the whimpers of his three brothers, weeping as only one wounded heart, he could no longer hold the tears and he began crying, like all of them.

* * *

When all the turtles had calmed, Donatello told his older brother.

"Leo, I have to check you. Do you understand?"

Still sobbing, Leonardo nodded.

"Raphael, help me lay him down." Carefully, both laid their brother on the filthy floor. "Leo, I need to know how you feel."

"My leg really hurts!"

"OH MY GOD!" Raphael and Michelangelo shouted and wrinkled their faces wincing as they finally saw Leo's leg.

"DONNIE, WHAT IS THAT?! WHY IS HIS LEG LIKE THAT?!

"Because it's broken, Mikey." Donatello watched the leg, carefully.

"Can you fix it?" Raphael asked.

"No, I don't know how to fix a fracture!"

"But you spend all that time reading books! What's the point to read so much if you can't do anything?"

"Oh yeah, Raphael! Well, if you think that it's so easy why don't do something?"

"Because you are the only one who knows how to read!"

At that moment, Splinter came down the stairs. In one hand he held a toolbox and in the other hand he held a chain.

His mere presence was enough to make his children immediately run away from him. They kept together, in a corner, hugging each other.

Without paying attention to his children, the rat dropped the chain on the floor. Then he took a wide fetter made of metal, which had an open end. The rat placed it around Leo's right ankle (because the left ankle was inflamed by the fracture). Splinter used screws to fix the metal.

Leonardo was not crying anymore, but occasionally he sobbed, watching as Splinter screwed the shackle, but the child didn't dare say anything.

When Splinter finished, he passed the end of the chain through a ring on the shackle and put on a padlock. Then took the other end of the chain and fixed it to a part of the pipe with another padlock.

"This will suffice for now. Later, I will place a metal plate attached to the chain," Splinter observed the child threateningly. "From now on, you're going to use that shackle for the rest of your life! Also, you're going to stay here outside every night and you will sleep chained like a dog! Is that clear?"

"Yes, master!" Leo could barely respond with a choked voice.

"And so you remember your lowest condition, you can't use our bathroom, never again."

"Never?... Where I'm going ...?"

"THERE!" Splinter pointed his finger to the river of waste water that ran through the center of the tunnel, "There, you can take care of your needs and if you want to take a bath, you'll have to fill a bucket with clean water to bathe here below, because that's the only thing that I'll let you do. Do you understand?"

"Yes"

"And as punishment for your disobedience, you will stay here, chained, two days, no water or food! This will teach you to obey my orders and not to forget your place as my slave. Is that clear?"

Leo nodded, still crying.

"I SAID, IS THAT CLEAR?"

"Yes, master!" The little turtle wiped away his tears with his hands.

"I hope so."

Then, Splinter turned around and looked at his children embraced, maintained in a corner, watching in silence.

"Michelangelo, come here." None of the children moved, "I TOLD YOU COME HERE!"

Trembling, the child advanced three timid steps.

"Why was Leonardo in your bedroom?"

"I... I..."

"WHY?"

"It's because sometimes, Mikey has nightmares," Raphael stepped forward and spoke for his youngest brother who was paralyzed with fear, "Some nights Mikey wakes up screaming and then Leonardo goes to his room to try to calm him down."

"Is that true?" Splinter asked Mikey, who kept his gaze on the floor, "Look at me when I´m talking you! IS THAT TRUE?"

"Yes!" Mikey bit his lips and rubbed his hands nervously, "Last night I had a nightmare and I asked Leo to stay with me until I fell asleep."

"That is wrong!" Splinter knelt to watch close his son, then, he put his hands on the Mike's shoulders, "I'm your father! You should've come to me!"

"Sorry!"

"Next time you have nightmares, you must come to me and no one else. I´ll help you better than anyone. Do you understand?"

"Yes, father."

"Well done... and tell me, what are these nightmares about?"

Mikey raised his head, looking for Leo, asking him with his eyes what he should say. From the spot where Leonardo was chained, he negatively shook his head, indicating that Mikey should not tell him the truth.

"What are your nightmares about?" Splinter repeated.

"Monsters!" Mikey murmured in low voice.

"Monsters?... Don't worry, Mikey! It's normal for children to dream of monsters, but you should not be afraid, because THE MONSTERS DON'T EXIST!" Splinter said these last words very slowly so that his child understood. Michelangelo bit his lip and looked down. Then Splinter approached him and held Mike's shoulders to give him confidence, "The next time you have nightmares, you must repeat yourself over and over again, 'the monsters don't exist' and I assure you that you will never be afraid again," the rat took the Mike's hand, "My children, come with me. It's late and we need to have breakfast."

* * *

Later, after the family had finished the breakfast and Splinter went to train in the Dojo, the three brothers went down the stone stairs and approached their older brother, who was still lying on the ground.

Michelangelo brought the blue blanket that Leo had left in the kitchen and spread it over the body of his oldest brother.

"No, Mikey!" Leo was more scared than surprised, "Splinter...!"

"Don't worry!" Raphael reassured him, "Mikey convinced our father to let you use the blanket."

"Oh, thank you!" Leo muttered wearily.

The sight of the shackle stopped Mikey, "Leo, why did dad put you on a chain?"

"I'm not sure, Mikey. I think that now I have to live here below!"

"Why? Down here it's dark and cold and smells bad."

Leonardo could not answer. He just kept quiet. Meanwhile, Donatello studied the fracture and repeatedly tapped his chin with his index finger, in full concentration.

"Are you going to do something now or are you going to wait until next winter?" Raphael protested, seeing the passivity of his brother.

"It's not easy! I... I... I JUST DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO!" Donatello took his hands to his head in despair, "The books only say that you must splint the patient and take him to a hospital immediately. But we can't take Leo and carry him to a hospital and to see a doctor."

"No, we can't do that!" Raphael pressed his index finger repeatedly against Donnie's plastron, "That's why you must fix it!"

"But what can I do!"

"WHATEVER!"

"OK! OK! I'll try."

Donatello grabbed Leo's leg. His hands were shaking. He moved it trying to fix it, but Leonardo grunted in pain. Scared, Donnie dropped the leg.

"No, I'm sorry! I can't do it! What if something goes wrong! And if I hurt you! And if I worsen things!" Donatello closed his eyes and placed his hands on his head, "No, I can't do it! I'm sorry, Leo!"

"Don't worry, Donnie!" Leonardo murmured softly and tried to smile, "I know you do the best you can. But you are only 3 years old and nobody can demand more than what you already do!"

"So, what do we do?" Raphael cried, "We just leave him like that?"

Mikey sat next to his brother, "Leo, does it hurt much?"

"Of course it hurts! Chump!" Raphael bumped Mike´s head.

"Ouch!" Michelangelo rubbed the top of his head, while Donatello was watching his brother. Leonardo frowned, in a clear attempt to hide the pain, but the sweat on his forehead and the way he clenched his fists, it was clear he was in pain.

Donatello sighed; he couldn't let his brother suffer any longer. Then he knelt next to him. "Listen to me, Leo! I will review every book I find, to know what to do. Please, hold on! I'll be back as soon as I can. Is it okay, Leo?"

"Yes!"

"Try to rest!" Donatello tucked him in the old blue blanket.

"Thank you, Donnie!" Leonardo muttered and closed his eyes. He felt unusually tired.

* * *

Donatello told his father that he wanted to be a doctor and got permission to try to heal Leo. Donatello also managed to get Splinter to lend him the computer with internet access.

The genius turtle spent all day and most of the night, reading everything he could, about fractures and how to heal it. It wasn't a simple matter, because all the books he read were about treating human fractures.

He tried veterinary books and spent a lot time researching how the bones of turtles were arranged? But this wasn't much help, because they were neither turtles nor humans, but a mixture of both.

Donatello had to admit that he and his brothers belonged to new and unique species and that to try to repair a bone, he should first understand how their skeleton was formed.

The child revised the diagrams carefully and then touched his own legs, trying to deduce how his bones were. This was a difficult task and took more time than he thought. Finally, overcome by sleep, he fell asleep in the wee hours of the morning.

* * *

In the morning, when Donatello woke up, he had red eyes and swollen eyelids, as a sign that he had not slept much.

After breakfast, the three brothers headed down the stairs, they carrying all that Donatello would need. They found that Leonardo's condition had worsened. He was pale, with dark circles under his eyes and he had a haggard look, possibly because of the pain. Donatello assumed that Leonardo had spent most of the night crying, because his eyes were red and very swollen.

Donatello put his hand on Leo's forehead to check his temperature, "You have a slight fever," Donatello spent a few moments carefully reviewing the injured leg of his brother. At last he said, "Leo, I have to accommodate the bone before immobilizing it or it will heal wrong and you will not be able to use the leg again. Is that clear?" Leonardo nodded, "This may hurt you a lot!"

"Just do it!"

This time it was Donnie who nodded. "Raph, I want you to sit on Leo's waist and with your two hands hold his thigh, very tightly, so it doesn't move. Mikey, I need you to help me with the strips of wood."

The genius sat on the ground and with his two hands he held Leo's leg. The child took a deep breath before starting.

Donatello had read a lot and was impressed with several testimonials of novice rescuers who, to avoid the pain and suffering of their patients, didn't move the bone back to its normal position. The result was that the fracture didn't heal properly and some patients limped for a lifetime. So, it was very clear that no matter how much the patients complained or yelled, a good doctor had to ensure that the bones were perfectly aligned. Donatello understood very well that avoiding a moment of pain could cause permanent injury. So, Donatello found the courage for starting the treatment, "All right! Are you ready? One... two... three!"

Donnie stretched Leo's leg and placed the bone in the correct place. A loud shout escaped from Leo's lips, who began beating the floor with his fist.

"Easy bro!... I'm almost done!" Donatello was totally focused in moving the bones to their normal position, "Mikey placed the wood underneath... there!" Carefully, Donatello left Leo´s leg on the slat of wood, "Raphael, hold the end of the wood. Mikey, you hold the other side. Well done! Wait a little, while I wrap it with bandages."

Donatello placed cotton and bandages around the broken leg and the wooden planks. Then, he prepared some plaster, that he had found in the warehouse and that Splinter used to repair the walls. Next, Donnie dipped some bandages into the plaster mixture and used it to wrap the injured leg. Then, he added all the excess plaster.

In the end, Leo's leg was plastered from the knee to the foot, leaving free only the tips of his toes.

"There! I think that's all I can do," He sighed relieved.

"Thank you, Donnie!" Leo murmured, tired and hungry, "Thank you all!"

"How do you feel, bro?"

"My head and stomach hurts!"

Donatello observed the parched lips of his brother, who had gone a full day without food or water, "You must be dehydrated."

Donatello got up and went to the kitchen. He wanted to bring a bowl of water and a cloth to clean the bumps and scrapes on Leonardo, but Splinter wouldn't allow him. The rat just let him use a wet cloth.

When Donnie came back he told his brother, "Raphael, see that nobody comes" Raphael stood on the stairs to watch, while Donatello squeezed out the wet rag into Leo's mouth. It was not too much water, but it was enough to keep him alive. Then, Donnie cleaned Leo´s wounds.

In the past, Splinter had punished Leonardo, denied him breakfast or dinner, but never had he left him with absolutely no food all day; and now this was the second day of starvation, so his stomach really hurt. The child was curled on the ground, tightening his abdomen in a vain attempt to soothe the pain.

His brothers looked at him with pity, but no one could do anything.

When Splinter called them, the three brothers told him goodbye, Mikey hugged him and they all left him alone. Leonardo closed his eyes trying to sleep.

* * *

Next day, Splinter came down to remove the chain from Leonardo's leg. Confused, the child remained motionless.

"What are you waiting for? You have to prepare breakfast!"

"May I come in the home, master?"

"You have to work! Or what? Don't you want to eat today?"

"Yes, I do, master!

"So, hurry."

Splinter went back to the house quickly, while the child stood up with difficulty and, leaning on the wall, he went up the stairs with a lot of effort. Raphael came by and found his big brother walking with trouble. He hugged him and helped him climb the stairs and took him to the kitchen.

Leonardo was so hungry that his hands were shaking. In order for Leo to move around the kitchen, he had to lean on the wall or table, moving with small jumps. Leo felt so weak that it took all of his strength to prepare and serve breakfast.

Afterwards, Splinter gave him a slice of bread that the child needed very much. This little food gave him back a bit of energy, but he still felt so weak that he didn't believe he had the strength to keep standing with a broken leg.

Again, it was Donatello who found a solution. First, he removed the wooden handle from an old broom and gave it to Leonardo to serve as a temporary support for walking. But Donnie had not finished yet. Next, he took another old broom, removed the bristles, wrapped the crossbar with old rags and cut the stick to a proper height. At the end of the day, Donatello had built a makeshift crutch for Leonardo. It was a great help to his brother, who could now move more easily through the lair.

However, despite the crutch, Leo moved more slowly, so it didn't matter how hard he tried, he never got to finish the job on time. Consequently, Splinter punished him by denying him dinner. Later, Splinter went down the stairs, followed by Leo. The rat put him on the chain on the fetter and closed the padlock.

This repeated every night for several weeks.

* * *

"Haven't you finished yet?"

"No, master! I'm almost done!"

Splinter growled, upset, "Tonight, there will be no dinner for you!"

Leonardo sighed sadly, "Yes, master!" This was becoming a habit.

"What time will you finish?"

"I'm not sure. I have to finish washing the dishes."

Splinter hit the table hard with his fist, and then put the unlocked padlock on the table, "When you have finished, go down the stairs and put yourself in the chain and padlock." The rat approached him menacingly, "If you do not obey me, and I find you unchained, I swear that you will regret it, understood?"

"Yes, master!" Leonardo was shaking but sighed in relief, when Splinter left.

When the child completed his tasks, he came down the stairs, tied the chain to the fetter which was on his right ankle and closed the padlock. He didn't want to disobey his master again, for any reason.

When Splinter woke up at 6:00 a.m. he went down to verify that Leonardo had obeyed his orders. He smiled when found him asleep with the chain in the shackle.

From that day on, Leonardo was forced to put himself on the chain, every night.

* * *

Now, Leonardo was already 7 years old and he was so tired of using the plaster and the crutch for so long, because, despite his best efforts, he could not complete his duties on time and therefore, he went without dinner almost every night.

Many times Leonardo asked his brother to remove the plaster, but Donnie refused. A normal broken bone took 3 or 4 months to heal, if there were no complications; but Donatello couldn't calculate how much time it would take to heal the bone of a mutant turtle, who, besides, was a sick, thin, malnourished child, probably with anemia. Furthermore, they belonged to a new and unique species from that they knew nothing about. So, Donatello didn't dare remove the plaster before it was time, even though Leo had it for 8 months now.

Tired, Leonardo went down the stairs, left the crutch on the floor, placed the chain in the fetter and closed the padlock. Later, Leo took a cloth and dipped it into the bucket of water that he had to the side. After, he cleaned the sores that had formed under the shackle. The child clenched his teeth when the cloth touched the skin ulcers, but had to clean the wounds to avoid infection.

When Leonardo finished, he covered himself with the blue blanket that allowed him to survive in the cold winter nights. It was so cold he could see white smoke form with each breath.

"The life of a slave is very hard!" The boy looked around and sighed. The tunnel was dark and the only sound was of the river of wastewater, flowing through the drain. The fetid stench of sewage impregnated the underground passages. The worst of all was he was starving and his stomach wouldn't stop growling.

Despite so much pain and suffering, there emerged from deep within the immense wish to escape from this hell. The child joined his hands to pray with all his heart and he asked that someday, somehow, he could escape from that place forever, but then he lowered his head.

"Nonsense!" He muttered, "The dream never come true!" Exhausted, he wrapped himself in his blue blanket and lay down on the cold floor.

* * *

Above, on the surface, a beautiful girl with red hair, wearing an evening dress and a stylish hairstyle, was walking through an elegant restaurant terrace. At that moment, she was approached by a handsome young man, with brown skin and black hair that almost touched his shoulders. He was very tall and had a muscular body.

"Hi, April!"

"Casey!" She hugged him, "I was waiting, love!"

"Sorry, baby! I'm late."

"Don't worry! What matters is that you're here," She leaned her head on his shoulder, "I missed you so much!"

"Me too!" And the two lovers kissed under the starry sky.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

What do you think? I'm working hard to write and translate this fanfiction and all I ask of you is a review. I want to know your opinion. If you like the story, please discuss it on Twitter or Facebook.

I want to update the next chapter before Christmas.

I feel somewhat sad because in the last chapter I received only 5 reviews. I don't know if I'm doing something wrong. Is there a problem with the topic, the story, translation or something else? It would help me to know what the problem is so as to improve it.

* * *

**Note 1: **I know that Donatello is too young to be like a doctor, but he has an IQ of 637 (it's in his biography). So, if Mozart wrote his first Symphony at age 5, I think that Donatello can cure a fracture, even if he is 3 years old.

**Note 2:** I have in my mind, the 2012 turtles (more or less, but like children), but April and Casey is more like the TMNT 2003 cartoon. I don't like the new Casey of TMNT 2012. Why he is toothless and ugly!? In TMNT 2003 Casey was very handsome. In fact, April and Angel are in love with him, even Karai has felt attracted to him. In the original comic, once Karai tried to seduce him. This is because he is so handsome, is he not? I like Donatello, but the chemistry between April and Casey is so strong, that as soon as they meet, the attraction is unavoidable, as we have seen in comics, movies and cartoons.

**Note 3:** I liked the quote from Stephen King. It is ironic that Splinter says that monsters don't exist, because only a "monster" is capable of hurting a defenseless child.

**Note 4:** To make the cover, I took the picture "TMNT_Leo_sleeping_by_NamiAngel", as a model, I redrew it, edited the image and added color. The drawing of the cover may be found on my Devianart page with the name of "Crystal-Violeta"

* * *

**Acknowledgements:**

I want to say thanks so much to "TekeoMiona" and all the people who helped me to write and translate this chapter.

Thank you very much, everyone who reads the fic, especially those who leave reviews.

**ErzaNee44:** Thank you so much for writing from devianart.

**Armstrong44**: Thank you! I hope to receive of your reviews.

**dani-curtis-16:** Thank you! Mikey is a lovely child and Leo too.

**Shadzninja:** Thank you for writing! In this story I want to show the love of four brothers and how they help in different ways.

**Smile or else: **Thank you! I love your fan fiction so much!

**Nancy2013:** Thank you for writing. I hope you like this chapter.


	5. The first Christmas

**THREE BROTHERS AND A SLAVE**

**Disclaimer: **The turtles do not belong to me. TMNT are property of their creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, and now of Nickelodeon.

* * *

_And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:12-14)._

* * *

**Chapter 5. The first Christmas**

And finally Christmas came to the lair of the turtles...

Splinter did not usually celebrate Christmas, because in Japan, Christianity was hardly known and their traditions were different; but the children had seen and heard a lot about Christmas on TV and the internet, and after seeing several Christmas specials, they were fascinated with the holiday. Their desire to celebrate their first Christmas was so great that Splinter did not have the heart to refuse. He loved his three sons so much that he decided to give them the pleasure of celebrating the best Christmas party. The old ninja ordered on line: decorations, a Christmas tree, and gifts. He spared no expense because he wanted the best for his children.

The little turtles were so excited that they helped with the decorations. Donatello was commissioned for the colorful lights, Michelangelo placed the baubles on the Christmas tree and Raphael placed the rest of ornaments. Splinter oversaw and helped each of his children. Finally, Splinter picked up Michelangelo and he put the Christmas star at the top of the tree.

The Hamato family remained standing, looking at the lair. The Christmas tree was so spectacular that children were happily engrossed watching the lights that turned on and off on the Christmas tree.

Splinter wanted everything to be perfect, so, he ordered by phone a great Christmas dinner.

Leonardo placed a long tablecloth on the table and put the turkey in the center. He also placed napkins, plates and cutlery at each place setting. When everything was finished, he sighed. Everything looked perfect.

* * *

Above, in April's department, she was folding cloth napkins and putting them on the porcelain tableware. Then, she heard someone calling and opened the door.

"Hi, April!"

"Casey, welcome! Come in, the dinner is already served."

"WOW! This really is a Christmas banquet! How many people did you invit?"

"No one else. It's just you and me."

"But April! Why did you prepare so much food?"

"Because this is our first Christmas together and I wanted everything to be perfect."

"I thought you had invited an entire army!" Casey stared at the food on the table. There was a huge turkey with stuffing, and a large piece of ham. There was also mashed potatoes, salad, corn, cranberry sauce, rolls, pumpkin pie and chocolate cake, "This... this is too much! There will be lots of leftovers!"

"So what? I will freeze leftovers and eat it later."

"But it can last for weeks!"

"Casey, I don't understand what the problem is."

The young man sat on the couch and let out a sigh.

"Casey, what's wrong? I prepared so many things because I wasn't sure what your favorite dinner is and I didn't want to disappoint you. Do you not like the dinner?"

"No, April. It's not that. It's just...! There is so much food and there are only two of us..." She looked at her boyfriend without understanding. Then he took her hands, "Listen, April. What do you think, if we took all this food and go to another place?"

"Exactly, what place?"

* * *

In the lair...

Splinter was finishing reading a Christmas story to his children, when Leonardo, leaning on his crutch, approached them.

"Master, dinner is ready."

Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo and their father went to sit at the table; all them were dressed in sweaters, scarves and slippers, but Leonardo wore nothing, so when he left the kitchen and sat on the floor waiting to be called, he rubbed his arms to warm up.

Splinter, as head of the family, had the honor of cut the turkey and serving it. His children clapped excited because they had never seen this kind of food before, just in movies and TV shows.

So, while Leonardo suffered from hunger and cold, his brothers and Splinter enjoyed a great Christmas dinner.

* * *

"April, this is the Sister Clarice."

"Nice to meet you, Sister!"

"Nice to meet you too, April! Casey has told us much about you."

"Really?"

"Excuse me, Sister, I would like to say hello to the boys."

"Of course, Casey! They are playing in the yard. Go with them. They would like so much to see you."

As soon as the young man went into the orphanage's courtyard, the children surrounded him and shouted enthusiastically:

"Look, Casey returned!" "Casey is here!" "Casey, we miss you!" "Why haven't you come to visit?" "Are you already hockey star?" "Are you going to stay with us?"

"Hey guys! Take it easy!" Casey smiled, "I can't answer if all of you talk to me at the same time!"

"Did you win many games?"

"Of course, I did! I'm the great CASEY JONES! And no one can beat me! In fact, I bet all of you together couldn't bring me down."

The children looked at each other and smiled.

"Hey!" Casey pretended to be serious, "Don't even try!"

Immediately, all the children ran at him; they jumped over him and piled on each other until they formed a huge mountain of children above Casey, who did nothing more than repeat, "Okay, OK! I give up! I said, I GIVE UP!"

The children laughed at their great feat and didn't allow him to get up.

From a corner, April and the nun watched them.

"The kids really love him!" April was surprised to discover this new aspect in her boyfriend; especially, with his appearance of a rude man.

"Yes, Casey gets along very well with children."

"Maybe it's because he behaves like one," April smiled.

"It's more than that. The kids like him and admire him so much. When Casey left us, the children suffered greatly. It was one of the saddest farewells I've seen. I remember that there were many tears that day."

"Casey worked here?"

"No. He came here when his father died, more than two years ago."

"I didn't know! Casey doesn't like talking about his past, what happened?"

"Apparently, there was a fire in the father's business. They say that Casey saw the store burn with his father inside, but he could do nothing. When the firefighters arrived, it was too late. That night, Casey lost his father and everything they had. The boy tried to get past it, but it was useless. His mother could not bear the loss and left the house. Some say that they found Casey wandering the streets for a long time. When the police brought him here, we took care of him, until he came of age."

"Poor Casey!"

"He had a difficult life, but Casey is a strong boy and has moved onward. He even managed to get a scholarship to play college hockey. He has high hopes that he will get a contract for a professional team."

"I know. That was how I met Casey. He asked me to help him with some subjects in college because he doesn't want to lose his scholarship; in payment, he taught me self-defense," she watched Casey playing with the children, "I hope he succeeds."

"I'm sure he will" Clarice smiled, "God always rewards the good people, although sometimes it takes a little time."

"Okay, you win! YOU WIN!" Casey cried and finally the children withdrew, allowing him to get up.

"WE WON!" The children shouted and raised their arms in victory, "We won to the great CASEY Jones!"

"Hey, that's not fair! I demand a rematch!" Casey took a football balloon, "But this time we will play football in two teams. All of you," and he pointed with his finger to the group, "against me and my partner... Let's see... who can be my partner?"

"Me!" Shouted the children, raising a hand and jumping repeatedly so Casey could see them.

"Mmmm... Who would be a worthy teammate?"

"Me! Choose me!" the children pushed each other.

"He must be strong, very brave and know how to work in a team. Mmmm..." He looked to one pale child sitting in a wheelchair who was alone in a corner. What about... you!" And he pointed the sick child.

"Me?" The pale boy looked him surprised.

"Yes, you. I have not seen you before. What's your name?"

"Cody."

"Alright, Cody, what do you say?"

"No! Nooo!" Replied the other children, "Cody can't play. He is sick."

"He seems to be fine to me. Also, I trust him. What do you say, Cody? Do you want to be my partner and beat these guys?"

"Yes! I do!"

"No!" Sister Clarice was alarmed, "Cody is very sick and he shouldn't be shaken."

"He'll be fine, Sister. I'll take care of him and he'll do the same for me. Isn't that right, Cody?"

"Of course. We'll do!" The boy smiled. It had been a long time since the nun saw him smile, so she agreed, "Casey, take good care of him!"

"Don't worry, Sister. We´ll be fine!"

Casey drew a line on the ground, "Pay attention! Cody and I stay on this side of the line; and all of you are on the other side," He told the other kids, "We will move forward with the ball but you are going to try to stop us. If you bring us down and take away the ball you win, but if we get to that tree, we´ll win. Is that clear?"

"Yeahhhh!" Shouted the kids excitedly.

Casey sat Cody on his shoulders and gave him the ball, "Cody, your job is the most important. You'll hold the ball and you can't release it for any reason. Do you understand?" The boy hugged the ball with all his might, "You're going to lead this team and you'll tell me what I must do. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready!" The boy looked like he had recovered the joy of living.

"Hold on tight, mate" The Cody's legs clung to the neck of Casey, who with one hand, held the torso of the child, to ensure he doesn't fall off.

"Okay!" Casey shouted, "one... two... and... Three!" Casey with Cody advanced rapidly and the kids tried to block them. Clutching his neck, Cody shouted, "Move to the left... to the right... be careful, Casey!"

Some children jumped on Casey and clung to his clothes. The young man had two children hanging on one leg and another three on his other leg. Then, two other children were hanging on both sides of his waist and another one on his arm. The children tried to halt their advance, but Casey continued walking, although slowly.

"You can do it, Casey!" Cody screaming alarmed, "Don't give up!" Two children managed to climb the trunk of Casey and raised their arms reaching for the ball, but Cody, lifted the ball away from the kids, "Fast Casey! It's only three steps!... YEAAA! WE WON!" Cody raised his hands in victory.

Casey lifted the child as high as his arms reached, "We are the champions!"

"It's not fair," some children complained, "Cody did nothing!"

"It's not true! I would not have done it without his help," Casey placed the child back in his wheelchair and stroked his hair.

"Thank you Casey, for choosing me!"

"Hey I just chose the best. You know, I was about to give up, but I didn't quit because you didn´t. Thanks partner!" The boy smiled.

When Sister Clarice approached them, Cody shouted, "Sister, you saw me! We won!"

"Sure I saw you, Cody, and I'm very proud of you."

The boy sighed.

"Come in to the dining room. It's time for dinner," Two nuns said and the kids formed in a row.

"Thank you for the food!" Sister Clarice told April, "The children will like it a lot."

"It was a pleasure!" April smiled.

"After dinner, perhaps you both would like to stay with the boys tonight. The children will be happy."

"What do you say, April? Would you like to stay? Believe me, there is nothing as wonderful as seeing the faces of the children opening their presents on Christmas."

"I think it's a great idea!"

"I´m glad" Clarice said, "The children will be very happy. Cody, specially. It's been a long time since he smiled."

"He's a great guy!" Casey sighed, "At first I thought he couldn't walk, but I noticed that his legs are fine. What's wrong with him?"

"Leukemia! Unfortunately, he is in the terminal phase."

Casey's face darkened. Sister Clarice entered the orphanage, but April and Casey were left behind. She grabbed her boyfriend's arm and kissed his cheek, "It was very beautiful what you did for that child!"

"I don't think so. You heard what she said... he is terminally ill!" Casey lowered his head, "I can't give him what he needs."

"I think you gave him exactly what he most needed," she took him by the arm, "Come on! They await us." And both went to dinner with the kids at the orphanage.

* * *

In the lair...

When Splinter and his children finished dinner, he sent them to bed. The turtles replied that it was still early, but despite their protests, the children obeyed their father and they went to bed.

Christmas night was the longest for the children, who spend half the night awake, thinking about the gifts they will receive or waking up every 30 minutes looking at the clock anxiously, only to find it has not yet dawned.

Splinter gathered, the leftovers of his children into one dish. He stirred everything to make an unappetizing mixture, "Bring a newspaper." Leonardo obeyed immediately, although he was surprised by the order. A few moments later, the child returned with a folded newspaper, "Hold it."

The child held it with two hands, and then, Splinter poured the hodgepodge of leftovers onto it. Leonardo was surprised, "Thank you, master!" The child sat down on the floor, he was ready to eat, but the rat ordered him.

"You will eat when you are done cleaning."

"Yes, master."

When Splinter made sure his children had left, he gave the padlock to Leonardo, "When you finish, you will put the chain on and then you can have dinner. I don't want any interruptions."

"As you wish, master."

Then, Splinter went to his room to wrap the gifts for his children. Meanwhile, the child picked up all the dirty dishes and washed them as fast as he could. He hurried to clean up everything and after turning off the lights, he went down the stairs leaning on his crutch and holding the newspaper in one hand.

Below, he put the crutch down, put himself in the chain and padlock, and then, placed the newspaper on his legs. This was the first time that the rat let him eat something like it. The jumble of food was cold and mixed with the turkey bones.

There was not much food on the newspaper, because Splinter didn't like to waste, and he had calculated the precise food for himself and his children, but even so, what little was left over was much more than Leo was used to eating.

Finally, Leo tasted something different from the diet of bread and water which he was subjected to every day. Leo felt an unusual sensation, something very similar to happiness.

The child took one of the bones and although it was clean and free of meat, he sucked it several times, to pick up its flavor. To his surprise, he found that some bones had a bit of cartilage and devoured them, leaving them clean and dry. He also found two bones that still had remnants of food, even a little meat. Leonardo was so happy to be able to suck these bones. Later, he ate the mixture remaining on the newspaper.

At the end, with his tongue, he licked the newspaper to savor the remains of food that had been adhered to the paper. Then, he licked all his fingers, so as to not waste any leftovers.

Of course, he was still hungry. A hunger for years doesn't calm with a small portion of food, but Leonardo didn't remember having tasted something so hearty and delicious in his life. For him, who had nothing, anything, no matter how small it was, became something extraordinary. With a smile he covered himself with his blanket and sighed, "_I don't know what Christmas is_," he thought, "_but if it means eating so well, then, I like it_."

* * *

"Already dawn!" Michelangelo cried, jumping on the bed, "it's Christmas! It's Christmas!" His brothers also woke up.

Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo ran quickly to find their gifts under the Christmas tree. The three children unwrapped their gifts, while from a hallway; Leonardo watched them with a smile. Leo loved to see his brothers so happy. Silently, he watched his brothers open the boxes wrapped in beautiful paper decorated with great bows. Leo could see their faces of astonishment and huge smiles upon finding beautiful toys. That was a memorable day for all the turtles.

Leonardo stretched his neck to observe more closely. He wanted to see his brothers' toys. He was content with only that. Watching them; it was the only thing that he could hope, because he knew that a slave could never have gifts or toys.

"What are you doing there?" Splinter rebuked him, "Stop wasting time! Go bring breakfast."

Leonardo ran to the kitchen to meet his obligations. So, while Leonardo was washing the dishes, he could listen to the din coming from the living room; where his brothers played overjoyed with their new toys. The little Leo finished drying the dishes and sighed. He really wanted to play with his brothers.

* * *

Raphael received a beautiful electric train; Donatello, two chemistry sets and a small toolbox, and Michelangelo received a race track with small cars for crashing, a red fire truck that had a siren with lights, a tricycle and a stroller operated by remote control. The three children were happy with their toys, but when Raphael saw Michelangelo's presents, he felt upset.

"Father, it's not fair! Why does Mikey get more toys?"

"My son, it's not about quantity, it's about quality and money. In fact, your gift is the most expensive."

Raphael said nothing, but within himself, he felt that life was unfair to him.

First, Splinter helped Michelangelo to assemble the racing track and he played a while with his son. Every time the cars clashed, Mikey exploded in laughter, which increasingly irritate Raphael.

Later, Splinter helped Raphael assemble his electric railway. It took hours to finish. The three children played the whole time and they only took a break when Leonardo called them to eat, but as soon as they finished, they returned to play.

Splinter spent all day playing with his beloved children. At dusk, Leonardo came to tell them that the dinner was served, but the child stayed quiet, contemplating the red fire truck running around the house with lighted sirens.

At that time, Donatello said "Pay attention because the volcano is going to erupt." Everyone fell silent and watched as red foam came out from the top of the volcano and it spilled down, while Donatello clapped excitedly. But what most impressed Leonardo, was Raphael's train. The electric train had a locomotive machine that whistled and threw smoke by the fireplace and had several wagons with little windows and armchairs.

The electric train ran along a long stretch of railway track. There were several little trees, a big bridge and one train station. The train also had a control for speed, reverse and change of track, so, Raphael could choose if the train is went straight or took the detour to the left or right. It was hypnotic to see the train running around the railway tracks. Leonardo could have spent hours watching, but the voice of Splinter returned him to reality.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, Master! I came to say, dinner is ready."

"Leo! Leo! Check out my car!" Michelangelo was jumping in excitement and showed him his car that he could handle by remote control. Mikey couldn't stop laughing while he drove the vehicle and avoided obstacles. Seeing him so happy aroused jealousy in his brother Raphael, who now, sadly saw his train as a boring toy.

After dinner, tired by the emotions of the day, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo bid farewell to their father and they went to bed. But while they were resting peacefully in their beds, Leonardo finished cleaning the living room and picked up all the trash in a black bag.

Leonardo expected Splinter to give him some leftovers, but the rat just threw down a slice of bread, on the floor, as usual. Disappointed, the child withdrew to a corner and sat on the floor, eating it. He thought if he ate more slowly he could appease hunger... but it never worked.

The child was starving, but to think about the toys that he never could have, he felt that even the bread, that he needed so much, got stuck in his throat.

* * *

Although it was late, Raphael still couldn't sleep. The jealousy flooded his being and he couldn't stop thinking about the remote control car. So he decided to get up during the night, entering his brother's room and taking the toy.

Fortunately for him, Michelangelo slept like a rock, so he didn't notice the intrusion. Raphael took the car and left the room. He wanted to play outside the lair, where no one could hear him and later... perhaps... destroy the toy so Mikey could not use it again. But arriving at the hall, he found Leonardo, sitting on the floor, engrossed, contemplating the lights that flashed on and off on the Christmas tree. The tree was so beautiful, that the child seemed mesmerized by its beauty.

"How I would like to know what it feels like to receive gifts and play like my brothers!" The child sighed, because he knew slaves couldn't have toys, couldn't even touch them. But at that time, he came up with a great idea. Leonardo looked at the bag of trash that he had just picked up and smiled.

Quickly, he emptied the bag on the floor and chose three boxes found in the best condition. Then, he ran to the sewer tunnel, took his old blanket and after briefly inspecting the drainage, picked up a stone and old brick. He went up the stairs and returned to the living room. There, he placed his blue blanket in a box and wrapped it with scraps of wrapping paper. In another box, he put the stone and in another put the brick. All was wrapped and decorated with used bows. Then, he put everything under the Christmas tree.

With a smile, Leonardo lay on the floor with his head resting on his hands, while he contemplated the Christmas presents. Of course, the paper was torn and wrinkled, and the bows were somewhat twisted and bent, but even so, they were gifts.

From the above, Raphael watched him. Raphael was confused and he was about to ask him what he was doing there, when suddenly, Leonardo stood up and without realizing that he was being observed, he collected the three wrapped gift boxes and, as if he were talking to someone unseen, said in a low voice, "All this for me?" Leonardo pretended to besurprised, "Thank you so much! I had never received gifts before." The child took the boxes and hurried down the stairs.

Fearing that his brother had gone crazy, Raphael followed him silently. He went down the stairs slowly, careful no one could see him. Hidden, he watched his brother put his crutch on the ground, place the chain on his right foot and put on the padlock, as he did every night. Afterwards, he approached the wrapped boxes. He opened the first present and pulled out his old blue blanket.

"Wow! A new blanket!" The child pulled out his old blue blanket, already worn and torn from use, and wrapped himself in it, "Thank you so much, Donnie! It will serve me well for winter!"

Then, he unwrapped the second box and pulled out the stone, "A stroller!" Leonardo stroked the rock and smiled, "Thank you, Mikey! It's very nice!" Finally, he uncovered the third gift and when he pulled out the brick he embraced it with force, "It's a train! Thank you very much, Raph! I have always wanted to have a train like this!"

Leonardo put the brick on the ground and slid it across the floor while he imitated the sound of the train and the whistle of the locomotive. With his other hand, he fastened the stone sliding along the ground, as if it were a toy car, making the sounds of an auto accelerating at high speed.

From the stairs, Raphael was watching the whole scene. Now that he thought, this was the first time in his life that saw Leonardo so happy. He always saw him working or being punished by Splinter, but never had he seen him play before, not even once. Raphael wiped away his tears. That night, Raph swore that he would never complain and would be grateful for the gifts he received.

With a lump in the throat, Raphael went back to the Mikey's bedroom and returned the toy. Then, he went to his own room, flopped on the bed and started crying. He felt ashamed for envying Mikey's gifts, while his brother Leo played with stones and pretended they were real toys. It broke his heart, "This is not fair...! It is not fair!" Feeling the grief of his brother as his own, Raphael wept until he fell asleep.

The next morning, when Raphael got up, Splinter gave him the key to unleashing Leo, "Bring the slave. Tell him he has to prepare breakfast."

Raphael took the key with indignation and squeezed it firmly. He went downstairs. But there, in the dark corridor, at the end of the chain, he found his brother sleeping peacefully on the ground, wrapped in his old blue blanket and hugging a brick and a stone, which were pressed against his chest, as if they were two great treasures.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Note:**

What do you think? I wanted to write a Christmas special. Some kids are bothered by not receiving "a special Christmas present"' instead of giving thanks for what they have. Many of us are fortunate for the life we have and sometimes we do not appreciate it.

Sadly it has been marketed to Christmas, as if consumerism was the answer we needed, when in fact, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, who came to teach us the meaning of love. This Christmas, I wish you many blessings and hopefully all of us remember to share the love, especially with the forgotten or those who have less.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

**Acknowledgements:**

Thanks to all who read and especially who leave reviews. If you want give me a present Christmas, please leave a review, although only to say Merry Christmas or happy New Year.

I want to say thanks so much to "**TekeoMiona**" and all the people who helped me to write and translate this chapter.

In this chapter Christmas special, I want to thank "**lornet-d5nsq8t**" for letting me use his drawing "Stars". You will find his drawings on DevianArt, with the name of "lorna-ka" or drawing name "TMNT AC 9 Stars"

**raph j:** Thank you very much for writing! About Casey, you're absolutely right. The Casey of 2003 was my favorite too. I hope follow receiving your messages.  
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

**Shadzninja:** Thank you so much for your beautiful words! I think it's nice that all the brothers help Leo, each one in their own way. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

**mady2120:** Thank you for your review! I´m sorry, but take some time to the Leo's life will take a turn for the better. Don't worry, while all of you still send me reviews, I'll continue writing. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

**Jedarth:** Thank you very much for your beautiful words! I'm glad you like the story. I'll keep working and look forward to receiving your comments. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

**Sad-and-Shattered-Angel:** Thank you very much for your nice words. I glad you like this fic. What story are you talking about? I like to read it. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

**mew2fem:** Thank you for your review! It's means a lot to me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

**Smile or else:** Thank you so much! Yea, poor Leo! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

**Nancy2013:** Thank you very much! You're right. That's the idea. But many things have to happen before April and Casey will find Leo.


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